1985-1987 - Population Studies Center - University of Michigan

Mark Langberg February 1986"Residential Segregation and the Assimilation Process:The Case of Asian Americans in 1980." ReynoldsFarley, chair; Allan Feldt, William Frey and DavidGoldberg, members.Dr. Langberg is a financial aid analyst with the Officeof the Vice-President of the University of California.Kci Matsushita May 1986"An Economic Analysis of Age at First Marriage."John Laitner, chair; E. Philip Howrey, David Lam, andArland Thornton, members.Dr. Matsushita is with the Division of Human Reproductionof the Ministry of Health and Welfare inTokyo, Japan.Wang Feng August 1987"Reproductive Revolution in Hebei, China: Individualand Community Determinants of Fertility Decline inChina." Chair, Albert I. Hermalin; Ronald Freedman,Thomas Fricke, and Martin Whyte, members.Dr. Wang holds a post-doctoral fellowship at theUniversity of California at Berkeley.Rebeca Wong May 1987"Estimation of a Micro-Economic Model of ContraceptiveUse in Rural Mexico." Chair: Eva Mueller; Albert I.Hermalin, Jan Kmenta, and David Lam, members.Dr. Wong is Assistant Professor of Economics at theJohns Hopkins University.THE LOLAGENE C. COOMBS DISSERTATION AWARDIn honor of Lolagene C. Coombs, who served as aResearch Associate and Associate Director for Operationsuntil her retirement in December of 1981, theCenter established the Lolagene C. Coombs Dissertationaward. During her distinguished career in thepopulation field, Mrs. Coombs was a consultant tonational and international population agencies andhelped design fertility studies for a number of countries.She made an important contribution to demographicmethodology with her work in the measurementof preferences for the sex and number of children.Her contribution to the development of theCenter's training program and her interest in thecontinuing improvement of Center research facilitieswere much appreciated by the staff and students. Thedissertation award is intended to reflect Mrs. Coombs'high standards and her concern for the intellectual andmaterial well-being of Center students.Outstanding dissertations, selected by Center facultyas contributing significantly to demographic theory orthe improved measurement of concepts, are identifiedwith this honor. In 1986, the Coombs dissertationaward, a cash honorarium, was presented to twoformer students during the Center's twenty-fifthanniversary reunion: Allen Beck, now with the U. S.Department of Justice Statistics, for his dissertationentitled "The Effects of Spatial Location and Structureon Interstate Migration;" and Sherrie Kossoudji, nowAssistant Professor of Economics and Social Work atthe University of Michigan, for her dissertation on"Language and Labor Markets: Immigrants to theU.S."PROSPECTUSES APPROVEDThe following prospectuses were approved since the Center's last report:Abdallah Abdel-Aziz: "The Effect of Reproductive Behavioron Infant and Early Childhood Mortality inJordan." Albert I. Hermalin, chair; Charles Hammerslough,John Knodel, and Gayl Ness, members.(September 1987)Nicola Beiscl: "The Politics of Morality: Anti-ViceSocieties in 19th Century Boston, New York, andPhiladelphia." William M. Mason and Jeffery Paige,co-chairs; William Sewell, Jr., Mayer Zald, andTcrrcnce McDonald, members. (May 1986)Kofi Benefo: "Culture, Education, and ReproductiveBehavior in Sub-Saharan Africa: A ContextualAnalysis with World Fertility Survey Data." WilliamM. Mason and Barbara Anderson, co-chairs; JohnKnodel and Maxwell Owuru, members. (October1987)Jui-shan Chang: "The Transition to Sexual Experiencefor Women in Taiwan." Arland Thornton, chair;Duane Alwin, Thomas Fricke, and Albert I. Hermalin,members. (July 1986)22 Population Studies Center